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Chicken Aloo Biryani

An adaption of our favorite Kolkata dish.
Total Time2 hours
Servings6

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 6 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Whole spices

  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 6 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 star anise
  • 3/4 tsp cumin seeds jeera
  • 1 strand mace

Biryani

  • 2 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced rounds cut in half
  • 1/3 cup mint leaves or substitute a few tsp dried mint
  • 1 green chili slit, fresh or frozen
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 cups dry basmati rice soaked for 30 minutes, then rinsed and drained several times until water is relatively clear
  • 3 cups chicken broth or water
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • extra coriander leaves (cilantro) for serving

Potatoes and eggs (optional but recommended)

  • 4 medium potatoes chopped into large chunks
  • 1 tsp tumeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5-6 hard-boiled eggs peeled
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Raita

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup cucumbers chopped
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  • Remove extra fat from the chicken with a scissors and cut several slits in each piece of chicken with a knife.
  • Combine the marinade ingredients in a 1.5 quart glass bowl with a lid or gallon bag.
  • Add the chicken to the marinade, massaging the marinade into the chicken with your hands.
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour; ideally 4-8 hours.

Make the raita

  • Mix ingredients together in a small container. Add salt to taste.
  • Cover and refrigerate until serving with biryani.

Make the biryani

  • Heat a wok over medium heat and melt the ghee.*
  • Add whole spices and wait until they begin to sizzle.
  • Add onions and sauté slightly. Push to the edges of the pan.
  • Working in batches, add chicken and cook until seared, 3-4 minutes on each side. (If onions begin to burn, remove them temporarily from the pot).
  • Cover and reduce heat slightly. Continue until chicken is fully cooked, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and sauté until most liquid is evaporated.
  • Transfer the chicken and onions to the Instant Pot.
  • Add any leftover marinade, 1/4 cup yogurt, 2 tbsp mint leaves, slit green chili, red chili powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and salt to taste. Mix it all together and lay it evenly across the bottom.
  • Spread rice over chicken.
  • Pour chicken broth along the sides of the rice, then over the top. The rice should be submerged.
  • Sprinkle 2 tbsp mint leaves on top.
  • Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for five minutes. Do a manual release after five minutes, then let stand for five minutes.
  • Meanwhile, begin boiling the potatoes with salt and tumeric. Drain once they are fork tender.
  • Heat remaining ghee and oil in the same pan you used to cook the chicken.
  • Working in batches, fry the potatoes until just slightly crispy in the oil, stirring and flipping as needed, then transfer to a paper-towel lined bowl (the tumeric will stain; be cautious).
  • Fry the hard-boiled eggs the same way.
  • When the Instant Pot is finished, add the potatoes and eggs back into the pot. Mix carefully and serve with raita and fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).

Notes

Adapted from the following recipes:
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chicken-biryani-recipe/
https://www.spicypunch.com/kolkata-chicken-biryani-bengali-biryani-recipe/
https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/raita-recipes-biryani-pulao-kababs/
*You can cook the chicken in the Instant Pot on sauté mode, and loosely cover the pot with the lid to finish cooking it. However, you will need to cook the chicken in batches and the onions can get burnt in this process.
Notes:
  • Mint leaves can be left out but it is better with them.
  • To adjust the spice level, use less red chili powder and less green chilis. Making a slit in the green chili instead of chopping it in allows you to remove the chili once cooking is finished, reducing the spice level.
  • There will still be whole spices in the dish once it's completed. I recommend you alert guests of this. Be wary of serving this dish to small children unless you remove the spices prior to pressure cooking.
  • Red onions are best for this recipe. Otherwise, use white.
  • You can use more or less chicken if you want, adjust marinade accordingly.